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WICHITA, Kansas – Patrick Palmeiro doubled and later scored the eventual game-winning run on a squeeze play in the 8th inning, and Cleburne tied a league record with six sacrifice hits in a 3-2 win in the series opener against the Wichita Wingnuts at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium on Thursday night.

Cleburne manufactured runs on squeeze plays in the 7th and 8th innings to take a 3-1 lead in the opener of the club’s last-ever trip to Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. The six sacrifices tie the record set by Pensacola in 2007 and Cleburne in 2017.

Josh Hodges turned in his best start of 2018 – surrendering just one run on eight hits with three walks and four strikeouts over a season-best seven innings. The Wingnuts stranded nine runners through Hodges’s seven innings, including six over the first three innings before a 15-minute rain delay disrupted play at the end of the 3rd.

Cleburne jumped out to the game’s first run after Angel Rosa scored on a wild pitch in the 5th.

Wichita answered in the bottom of the 5th after Logan Watkins tripled over Cam Monger’s head on the first pitch of the inning and Zach Nehrir tied the game with an RBI single right after.

Chase Simpson reached four times with two singles and two walks, while Palmeiro went 2-for-4 with the eventual game-winning run. Trevor Sealey reached twice on singles with a run scored in the leadoff spot.

Shawn Blackwell – four days after his six-inning, 84-pitch effort in Sunday’s 14-inning win over the Chicago Dogs – earned his ninth save of the year with a clean 9th inning.

Will Mathis worked the 8th inning and gave up one run on a two-out RBI double from Hunter Clanin that cut the Cleburne lead to one.

The win was Cleburne’s fifth in 23 road games and first since July 6th against Chicago. The win also snapped a three-game losing skid for the Railroaders.

Game 2 of the four-game series is set for Friday night at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. First pitch time is 7:05 p.m. and RHP Patrick Mincey will go head-to-head against RHP Tyler Kane.

Cleburne returns home on July 27th with a doubleheader against the Gary SouthShore RailCats. Tickets and all promo info are available at www.railroaderbaseball.com or by calling (817) 945-8705.